The 100 best romantic movies: contributors

How did we choose the 100 best romantic movies of all time? Did a bunch of sun-starved Time Out film critics sit in a darkened room and write a list? No, of course not. We got off our sofas and did it the hard way by asking the experts. These folks know a thing or two about romance. We’ve spoken to actors, writers, directors, film critics and some of our cultural heroes. That’s 101 insiders sharing their top ten favourite romantic movies. Explore their lists here, and join the debate in the comments below.

Actors and actresses know a thing or two about what works in romantic films. These guys are on the frontline, delivering lines – from the cringeworthy to the heartstopping. We talked to 'Thor' actor Tom Hiddleston, 'Downton Abbey' star Joanne Froggatt and Christopher Walken. Here are the actors’ lists of their top ten favourite romantic movies.

These are the folks who make their living from giving movies a critical mauling. From Danny Leigh of BBC One’s weekly film show, The Times’s Kate Muir and Time Out’s film editor Dave Calhoun, here are the critics’ top ten favourite romantic movies.

Some of the world’s most in-demand directors tell us their favourite romantic movies. We consulted romcom master Richard Curtis (‘Notting Hill’), Edgar Wright (‘Shaun of the Dead’) and Michel Gondry (‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’). Here are the directors’ lists of their top ten favourite romantic movies.

These are film festival directors, cinema programmers and film company head honchos… plus a silent film pianist. Among them is the London Film Festival's Clare Stewart and the founder of Future Cinema Fabien Riggall. Here are the industry insiders’ lists of their top ten favourite romantic movies.

We asked some of the most respected writers around about their favourite romantic movies: including the man who wrote ‘The Notebook’, Nicholas Sparks; ‘Fifty Shades of Gray’ author, EL James; Iain Sinclair; and ‘Submarine’ novelist Joe Dunthorne.